C9. Peculiar.

Chapter 9: Peculiar

"Any rules are fine," he said, taking advantage of the situation and becoming compliant. "As long as I can stay by your side."

Ji Li reassured him, "You don't have to worry. Really."

"You can always stay in the General's Mansion, I can guarantee that." She tried to ignore the strange feeling and spoke frankly, "I feel that you are actually... quite insecure."

"I hope you can find what you're looking for here," she said, feeling a bit unnatural as she noticed the person beside her's gaze following her.

"Also, you don't have to be so... this way all the time."

A half-grown boy should be carefree and unrestrained, she didn't want Xi Che to be like this.

Cautious, every step a struggle.

No different from being in Rong Hua Temple.

Suddenly, she felt a strange sense of apology for him.

After all... her purpose in saying this was impure.

She hoped that when necessary, he would also pull her up, pull the Ji family up.

She also believed that Xi Che would be able to help her with this at some point in the future.

Perhaps it was the special meaning in her words that was too strong, Xi Che's eyes flickered slightly, "Then, can I call you sister?"

"What?" she was stunned.

"Just, just... when we are alone together," his expression darkened again, as if defending himself for this unreasonable request that was restrained by etiquette, "I had an older sister when I was young, but..."

He thought of the way his older sister had run desperately to protect him and his mother in the Bei Di palace.

If his older sister hadn't suddenly disappeared, his mother wouldn't have died of a broken heart so quickly.

He said, "She's missing."

Ji Li looked at him, "The wars have been over for a long time these years."

"Your Majesty is a wise ruler, when you grow up a bit, you will surely find her whereabouts."

She knew what he was afraid of and tried to persuade him, "A perfectly healthy person can't just disappear."

"Your older sister was able to protect you and your mother when she was so young, so she must be a different kind of woman than the usual boudoir lady, a woman of courage and strategy."

"You should also believe in her, believe in yourself."

He composed himself, said "hmm," and looked up at her again, "Then can I call you?"

Ji Li pretended not to understand, trying to change the subject, "What can and can't..."

"Can I call you sister?" he echoed her words, "This is our own rule."

Ji Li: "You..." What's gotten into you again?

Guilt gnawed at her, so she didn't immediately refuse. She glanced at the expression on the person across from her.

Oh well, it's not like it matters this one time.

She agreed after all.

As she looked up, she met the boy's gentle, luminous eyes.

Silent, concentrated moments flowed slowly between the two.

Ji Li stood up and moved away from him.

She felt that at this moment, their magnetic fields were a bit out of sync.

She opened her mouth to shoo him away. "You've rested enough, so go back quickly. Yun'er will come find you later."

Knowing that she was about to fulfill her promise to arrange work for him, Xi Che laughed.

Noticing the person opposite him pretending to be calm, he said, "Then I'll be going."

Finally, he immediately took the opportunity to climb the ladder. "Well...goodbye, sister."

The boy's voice was clear, perhaps with a hint of deliberation in his pronunciation.

It was almost winter, but the words he spoke were like summer, inexplicably stirring up a bit of restlessness in the person he addressed.

The intention in his words was too obvious, or perhaps, he himself didn't even realize it.

But... if there was a fire burning next to someone.

How could they not feel the heat?

At this moment, for Ji Li, Xi Che was like this ball of fire, only a flickering flame, but the warmth grew gradually.

It made her a bit hesitant.

She had sincerity, but more importantly, she was using him.

She hoped for something in return, and she also had to have something in return.

"I understand." She turned and walked back, taking it as an answer.

After the person left, she rested for a while before heading to Ji Yunshan's study.

Lake stones stood tall, and pine branches were dense.

A faint sandalwood fragrance filled the study. On the matching sandalwood desk, various famous calligraphy and paintings were piled up, and a Guanshan inkstone was placed on the side.

Seeing Ji Li arrive, he gestured for her to sit down.

Ji Yunshan added some tea leaves to the purple clay teapot. Smelling the strong aroma of the tea leaves, he then spoke to her, "I heard that you went to guide that boy in martial arts practice early this morning?"

"Yes, but not for long." She was silent for a while, then said, "It was Ah Che himself, who was practicing foolishly in the courtyard before dawn."

Ji Yunshan didn't respond this time, but looked at his daughter thoughtfully. "Li Li, don't you think you're being too good to him?"

Ji Li was taken aback and looked up at him.

Ji Yunshan: "I've long felt that you're not treating this person like an ordinary servant."

"However, that's fine too," he said. "Xi Che has a pitiful background, so it's okay to take more care of him, but... you know the art of subduing subordinates."

You can give a little favor, but you can't give too much or indulge them.

That will only breed undue desires.

"I understand," she said lightly.

"But..." Xi Che is different.

Amidst the current circumstances, if she were to tell her father that someone would attempt to poison him and bring the Ji family to ruin in a few years,

He would most likely not believe her.

Therefore, she simply said calmly, "I have my own decisions, but I cannot speak of them now. I beg you to trust me."

Ji Yunshan was not entirely unaware of his daughter's sudden change in attitude and her frequent thoughtful gestures.

However, he ultimately believed her.

Very well, his life was old.

He would always be there to protect her.

He gazed into Ji Li's eyes, enunciating each word, "Do as you see fit."

He no longer pursued the previous question.

The atmosphere in the room also transformed abruptly, losing some of its seriousness and gaining a touch of warmth.

Ji Li also took a sip of the spicy ginger tea. As she swallowed, her body immediately warmed up.

"How are you considering the matter of finding a teacher for me?"

Civil and martial arts complement each other. She could teach Xi Che martial arts, but she couldn't help him much academically.

To grow quickly and prepare for the future, they had to plan early.

Ji Yunshan: "Your cousin Xu is quite well-educated. He passed the provincial exam at the age of twenty-one."

"You brought this up suddenly, and I haven't found anyone suitable yet. It just so happens that he will be coming to visit me soon for a short stay. Why not have him teach for two days first?"

Her cousin's knowledge was certainly sufficient, but...

"Isn't my cousin taking the imperial exam next year?" she asked. "Won't that conflict with his schedule?"

Ji Yunshan: "He's still a bit short of the mark. It would be more advantageous for him to take the exam later."

Thus, Ji Li said no more.

As she stepped out, the autumn breeze brushed against her face. She looked up to see a few white doves scattered on the wall of the courtyard.

They were lined up in an orderly fashion.

She retracted her gaze and returned to the courtyard to practice her spearplay.

...

Thousands of miles away in the capital, the rain poured down.

The chill had subsided, and in the distance, the lights of countless homes and the clamor of the streets filled the air, rich with the ordinary atmosphere of life.

Xie Yunchen maintained his posture of gazing into the distance, his expression unwavering.

A few strands of his raven hair were blown about by the cool breeze, falling in disarray across his face.

"Master, the post station says... there is still no reply from the border," the servant said, then stood aside holding an umbrella, saying no more.

He shifted his gaze but didn't say much.

After a while, he said, "I see."

"No reply..."

The last half of this sentence was spoken in a very soft voice.

From a distance, it seemed as if his lips were barely moving. If one didn't listen carefully, these few words might have dissipated into the wind.

The man looked out into the distance again.

He gazed at the bustling crowd below the city walls, at the lively scene that did not belong to him.

His eyes seemed to lack focus, his expression one of tranquility, and an aura of coldness lingered around him.

Yet he had just been granted a fiefdom and a title.

It should have been a cause for great celebration.

Compared to his late start in the previous life, this time, he had shown his brilliance early on.

His exceptional abilities were evident, yet not to be overlooked.

Everything had turned out better than he had anticipated.

The only difference from his previous life was this letter.

Or rather, it was all the correspondence he had sent to the border since his rebirth.

Not a single one had been answered.

"Master, let's return. Concubine Lingfei will be looking for you," a subordinate at his side reminded him in a low voice.

Xie Yunchen stared at the man with a blank expression.

Just one look was enough to silence him.

An aura of sharpness and sternness surrounded him, and when he raised his eyes to look at someone, he already had a hint of the way he had looked when he first ascended the throne in his previous life.

The servant, though he had been by his master's side for a long time, was still frightened into silence by his master's expression.

He no longer mentioned those things, but simply accompanied him in silence.

Xie Yunchen lowered his eyes, his hand slowly stroking the Buddhist beads at the base of his thumb, neither happy nor angry.

Only after a long while did he speak, "Let's return to the palace."

His face was calm, but he had already made up his mind in his heart -

He would personally go to the border in three months.

Perhaps something had gone wrong with this matter.

If there were variables...

That would also make sense.

After all, he did not believe that Ji Li would treat him coldly.

He knew her.

She cared deeply for him, in both lives.

———

TNote:

[1] In ancient China, the provincial civil service exam, or hui shi, was a crucial step in the imperial examination system. It was a highly competitive exam that determined a candidate's eligibility for higher-level examinations, ultimately leading to a position in the imperial bureaucracy.

[2] "表哥" (biǎo gē): This term of address indicates that the woman is addressing her cousin, who is likely older than her. It adds a layer of respect and formality to the conversation.